So, to my fond faith, poor Pip, in this strange sweetness of
his lunacy, brings heavenly vouchers of all our heavenly homes.
Where learned he that, but there?--Hark! he speaks again;
but more wildly now."
"Form two and two! Let's make a General of him! Ho, where's
his harpoon? Lay it across here.--Rig-a-dig, dig, dig! huzza!
Oh for a game cock now to sit upon his head and crow!
Queequeg dies game!--mind ye that; Queequeg dies game!--
take ye good heed of that; Queequeg dies game!
I say; game, game, game! but base little Pip, he died a coward;
died all a'shiver;--out upon Pip! Hark ye; if ye find Pip,
tell all the Antilles he's a runaway; a coward, a coward,
a coward! Tell them he jumped from a whale-boat! I'd never
beat my tambourine over base Pip, and hail him General,
if he were once more dying here. No, no! shame upon all cowards--
shame upon them! Let'em go drown like Pip, that jumped from
a whale-boat. Shame! shame!"
During all this, Queequeg lay with closed eyes, as if in a dream.
Pip was led away, and the sick man was replaced in his hammock.
But now that he had apparently made every preparation for death;
now that his coffin was proved a good fit, Queequeg suddenly rallied;
soon there seemed no need of the carpenter's box; and thereupon,
when some expressed their delighted surprise, he, in substance,
said, that the cause of his sudden convalescence was this;--
at a critical moment, he had just recalled a little duty ashore, which he
was leaving undone; and therefore had changed his mind about dying:
he could not die yet, he averred.
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